EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – One of the main takeaways from the scrimmage practice between the Chargers and Rams was how well the Bolts played defense against their Los Angeles neighbor.
Led by safety Derwin James and a fierce pass rush, the Chargers defense put the heat on quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense.
How well did it go for the Chargers during the two hours plus scrimmage at The Bolt? If turnovers and batted passes are the gauges, then it went well for Jim Harbaugh’s team.
The Chargers, led by the pass rush of edge rusher Joey Bosa, cluttered up the passing pocket for Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo and didn’t give the Rams passers any wiggle room to be comfortable.
Therefore, the defensive pressure put on Stafford and Garoppolo caused passes to be deflected, batted down and picked off. Early during the scrimmage, the Chargers forced the Rams into three straight turnovers- a deflected pass that wound in the hands of Nick Niemann for interception.
After picking off Garoppolo, the Chargers didn’t let up on the next series coming up with a strip fumble of Rams rookie running back Blake Corum. Linebacker Daiyan Henley was the player who initiated the forced fumble for the Chargers.
The Chargers got greedy on the turnover subject, picking off Stafford again from another deflected pass. Veteran linebacker Denzel Perryman became the recipient of Stafford’s aerial gift. The Rams did have moments, though.
Running back Kyren Williams had an exceptional scrimmage for the Rams. Williams hit one hole after another and broke off some impressive runs against the defensive units of the Chargers. Backfield teammate Blake Corum also enjoyed some productivity.
Puka Nacua looked like the same high-flying, spectacular wide receiver he has blossomed into. But by and large, this was a day where the Chargers defense shined. When the Rams lined up in the red zone area, the Chargers kept the defensive dialed up.
Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel picked off Stafford after James batted the ball his way into the endzone. Stafford tried to connect with Nacua in the back of the endzone. Samuel and James had Nacua completely blanketed on the play. The Chargers defense was not finished.
Joey Bosa got into the backfield and pulled off another strip fumble, this time knocking the ball out of Stafford’s hands as he attempted a pass.
Photos by Carlos Jones courtesy of News4usonline.com for The Bulletin
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